More US Pharmacies Closed Than Opened In 2018-21; Independent Pharmacies, Those In Black, Latinx Communities Most At Risk.

In recent years, federal and state policy makers have expressed concern about retail pharmacy closures throughout the US. However, there is a dearth of timely information on the extent of such closures. We linked data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs on all US retail pharmacies to county-level data from the National Center for Health Statistics and ZIP Code Tabulation Area data from the American Community Survey to determine the number and percentage of pharmacy closures during the period 2010-21; identify pharmacy, neighborhood, and market characteristics associated with pharmacy closure; and estimate the risk for closure for independent pharmacies relative to chain pharmacies.

Mediators of racial and ethnic inequities in clinical trial participation among patients with cancer, 2011-2023.

Background: Although racially and ethnically minoritized populations are less likely to participate in cancer trials, it is unknown whether social determinants of health (SDOH) explain these inequities. Here we identify SDOH factors that contribute to racial and ethnic inequities in clinical trial participation among patients with 22 common cancers.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used electronic health record data (2011-2023) linked to neighborhood (US Census tract) data from multiple sources.

Are community oncology practices with or without clinical research programs different? A comparison of patient and practice characteristics.

Background: Expanding access to clinical trials in community settings is a potential approach to addressing disparities in accrual of historically underrepresented populations. However, little is known about the characteristics of practices that do not participate in research. We investigated differences in patient and practice characteristics of US community oncology practices with high vs low engagement in clinical research.

Use of Oral and Emergency Contraceptives After the US Supreme Court's Dobbs Decision.

Importance: The US Supreme Court Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization decision allowed states to strengthen restrictions on abortion access, triggering the closure of family planning clinics and leading to confusion about the legality of emergency contraceptives (ECs).

Objectives: To evaluate the association between the Dobbs decision and fills for oral and emergency contraceptives in states that enacted the most restrictive abortion policies after Dobbs.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study used data on contraceptive fills for women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in the US from IQVIA's National Prescription Audit PayerTrak and data from the Guttmacher Institute were used to categorize changes in abortion restrictions in each state.

Broadening Eligibility Criteria and Diversity among Patients for Cancer Clinical Trials.

Background: Certain populations have been historically underrepresented in clinical trials. Broadening eligibility criteria is one approach to inclusive clinical research and achieving enrollment goals. How broadened trial eligibility criteria affect the diversity of eligible participants is unknown.

Racialized economic segregation and inequities in treatment initiation and survival among patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose: Racialized economic segregation, a form of structural racism, may drive persistent inequities among patients with breast cancer. We examined whether a composite area-level index of racialized economic segregation was associated with real-world treatment and survival in metastatic breast cancer (mBC).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among adult women with mBC using a US nationwide electronic health record-derived de-identified database (2011-2022).

Diagnoses and Treatment of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia Among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Persons Living with Dementia.

Background: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and prescribed central nervous system (CNS) active drugs to treat them are prevalent among persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (PLWD) and lead to negative outcomes for PLWD and their caregivers. Yet, little is known about racial/ethnic disparities in diagnosis and use of drugs to treat BPSD.

Objective: Quantify racial/ethnic disparities in BPSD diagnoses and CNS-active drug use among community-dwelling PLWD.

Sociodemographic inequities in COVID-19 vaccination among adults in the United States, 2022.

Background: Despite the availability of COVID-19 vaccines since December 2020, sociodemographic inequities in vaccination and preventable COVID-related deaths persist. To inform efforts for equitable COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, a comprehensive national evaluation of existing inequities is necessary.

Objective: To examine sociodemographic inequities in COVID-19 vaccination receipt using data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Association Between Pharmacy Proximity With Cardiovascular Medication Use and Risk Factor Control in the United States.

Background: Poor neighborhood-level access to health care, including community pharmacies, contributes to cardiovascular disparities in the United States. The authors quantified the association between pharmacy proximity, antihypertensive and statin use, and blood pressure (BP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) among a large, diverse US cohort.

Methods And Results: A cross-sectional analysis of Black and White participants in the REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study during 2013 to 2016 was conducted.

Access to community pharmacies based on drive time and by rurality across the contiguous United States.

Background: Considering that mail-order pharmacy use remains low in the United States, geographic accessibility of community pharmacies (pharmacy access) can have an outsized impact on a community's access to services and care, especially among rural residents. However, previous measurements of pharmacy access rely on methods that do not capture all aspects of geographic access.

Objectives: This study aimed to measure pharmacy access across the contiguous United States and by rural, suburban, and urban areas using drive-time analysis and an improved methodological approach.

Risk of contralateral breast cancer among Asian/Pacific Islander women in the United States.

Purpose: While breast cancer studies often aggregate Asian/Pacific Islander (API) women, as a single group or exclude them, this population is heterogeneous in terms of genetic background, environmental exposures, and health-related behaviors, potentially resulting in different cancer outcomes. Our purpose was to evaluate risks of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) among subgroups of API women with breast cancer.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women ages 18 + years diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer between 2000 and 2016 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries.

Changes in HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Coverage at State and County Level During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States.

This study quantifies the prevalence and trends in weekly PrEP coverage at the national, state and county-level, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.We estimated weekly PrEP coverage using longitudinal individual-level pharmacy claims from IQVIA LRx for a cohort of PrEP users (N = 287,493) ages 16 to 85 years between December 29th, 2019 and November 8th, 2020. Weekly PrEP coverage was defined as PrEP use among individuals at high risk for HIV.

Sociodemographic Inequities in Telemedicine Use Among US Patients Initiating Treatment in Community Cancer Centers During the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2022.

Purpose: Although telemedicine was seen as a way to improve cancer care during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, there is limited information regarding inequities in its uptake. This study assessed sociodemographic factors associated with telemedicine use among patients initiating treatment for 20 common cancers.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used deidentified electronic health record-derived patient data from a nationwide network of community cancer practices, linked to area-level Census information.

Socioeconomic status and inequities in treatment initiation and survival among patients with cancer, 2011-2022.

Background: Lower neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with suboptimal cancer care and reduced survival. Most studies examining cancer inequities across area-level socioeconomic status tend to use less granular or unidimensional measures and pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we examined the association of area-level socioeconomic status on real-world treatment initiation and overall survival among adults with 20 common cancers.

Racial and Ethnic Inequities in US Oncology Clinical Trial Participation From 2017 to 2022.

Importance: There is increasing recognition from regulatory agencies that racial and ethnic representation in clinical trials is inadequate and linked to health inequities. The extent of racial inequities in clinical trial participation is unclear because prior studies have synthesized enrollment data from published trials, which often do not report participant race and ethnicity.

Objective: To evaluate racial and ethnic inequities in oncology clinical trial participation in a contemporary cohort of patients with cancer before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residence in Hispanic/Latino Immigrant Neighborhoods, Away-From-Home Food Consumption, and Diet Quality: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Background: Hispanics/Latinos are disproportionately burdened by nutrition-related diseases but immigrants appear healthier than their US-born counterparts. Neighborhoods characterized by high Hispanic/Latino immigrant segregation may provide environments to support healthier diets.

Objective: To examine whether or not Hispanic/Latino immigrant segregation is associated with frequency of away-from-home food consumption and diet quality in a large, diverse sample of Hispanic/Latino adults.

Citizenship status and cost-related nonadherence in the United States, 2017-2021.

Objective: To assess inequities in prescription medication use and subsequent cost-related nonadherence (CRN) and cost-saving strategies by citizenship status in the United States.

Data Sources/study Setting: National Health Interview Survey (2017-2021).

Study Design: This cross-sectional study examined noncitizen (n = 8596), naturalized citizen (n = 12,800), and US-born citizen (n = 120,195) adults.

Mediation of Racial and Ethnic Inequities in the Diagnosis of Advanced-Stage Cervical Cancer by Insurance Status.

Importance: Black and Hispanic or Latina women are more likely than White women to receive a diagnosis of and to die of cervical cancer. Health insurance coverage is associated with diagnosis at an earlier stage of cervical cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the extent to which racial and ethnic differences in the diagnosis of advanced-stage cervical cancer are mediated by insurance status.

Global, regional and national trends in statin utilisation in high-income and low/middle-income countries, 2015-2020.

Objective: Prior studies have reported inequitable global access to essential medicines for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, especially statins. Here we examine recent trends and disparities in statin utilisation at the income group, regional and country levels.

Design: Ecological study.

Impact of socioeconomic status and rurality on cancer-specific survival among women with de novo metastatic breast cancer by race/ethnicity.

Purpose: There are approximately 150,000 women living with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) in the United States. Disparities in de novo mBC incidence and mortality exist across race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and rurality. However, how SES and rurality independently impact mBC outcomes across different racial/ethnic groups is not fully understood.

Citizenship Status and Mortality Among Young Latino Adults in the U.S., 1998‒2015.

Introduction: Although Latino immigrants, especially noncitizens, endure structural factors that may increase their risk of death at younger ages, little is known about their risk of death in young adulthood. This study evaluates mortality differences across citizenship status among young Latino adults (aged 18-44 years) in the U.S.